IX.

"Wherefore if me thou deigne to ferve and few, "At thy commaund lo all these mountaines bee; "Or if to thy great mind or greedy vew "All these may not fuffice, there fhall to thee "Ten times fo much be nombred francke and "free."

"Mammon," faid he, "thy godhead's vaunt is "vaine,

"Anc idle offers of thy golden fee;

"To them that covet fuch eye-glutting gaine "Proffer thy giftes, and fitter fervaunts enter❝taine.

"Untroubled Nature doth herfelfe fuffife, "Such fuperfluities they would defpife, "Which with fad cares empeach our nati joyes.

"At the well-head the pureft ftreames arise; "But mucky filth his braunching armes annoye

"weet'

accloyes.

"Me lift not," faid the Elfin knight," receave "Thing offred, til! I know it well be gott; "Ne wote I but thou didst these goods bereave "From rightful owner by unrighteous lott, "Or that blood-guiltineffe, or guile them blott." "Percy," quoth he, " yet never eie did vew, "Ne toug did teli, ne hand these handied not; But fafe I have them kept in fecret mew, "From Heven's fight, and powre of al which them "pourfew."

xx.

"What fecret place," quoth he; “ can fafely « hold

"So huge a mas, and hide from Heven's eie? "Or where haft thou thy wonne, that so much "gold

"Thou canst preferve from wrong and robbery?" "Come thou," quoth he," and fec." So by and by

Through that thick covert he him led, and fownd A darkfome way, which no man could defery, That deep defcended through the hollow ground, And was with dread and horror compaffed arownd.

Before the dore fat felfe-confuming Care,
Day and night keeping wary watch and ward,
For feare leaft Force or Fraud fhould unaware
Breake in, and fpoil the treasure there in gard;
Ne would he fuffer Sleepe once thether-ward,
Approch, albe his drowsy den were next;
For next to Death is Sleepe to be compard,
Therefore his houfe is unto his annext;
Here Sleep, ther Richeffe, and hel-gate them both
betwext.

XXVI.

So foon as Mammon there arriv'd, the dore
To him did open, and affoorded way;
Him followed eke Sir Guyon evermore,
Ne darkneffe him ne daunger might dismay.
Soone as he entred was, the dore ftreightway
Did fhutt, and from behind it forth there lept
An ugly feend more fowle then difmall Day,
The which with monftrous ftalke behind him
Rept,

And ever as he went dew watch upon him kept.

XXVII.

Well hoped hee, ere long that hardy guest,
If ever covetous hand or luftfull eye,
Or lips he layd on things that likt him best,
Or ever fleepe his eie-ftrings did untye,
Should be his pray; and therefore ftill on hye
He over him did hold his cruell clawes,
Threatning with greedy gripe to do him dye,
And rend in peeces with his ravenous pawes,
If ever he tranfgreft the fatall Stygian lawes.

XXVIII.

That houses forme within was rude and strong, Lyke an huge cave hewne out of rocky clifte, From whofe rough vaut the ragged breeches hong Emboft with maffy gold of glorious guifte,

And with rich metall loaded every rifte,
That heavy ruine they did seem to threatt;
And over them Arachne high did lifte
Her cunning web, and spread her fubtile nett,
Enwrapped in fowle smoke and clouds more black
then iett.

XXIX.

XXXIV.

Thereat the feend his gnashing teeth did grate, And griev'd fo long to lacke his greedie pray;" For well he weened that fo glorious bayte Would tempt his gueft to take thereof affay : Had he fo doen, he had him fnatcht away, More light then culver in the faulcon's fift;

Unworthy match for fuch immortali mate "Myfelfe well vote and mine unequal! fate "And were I not, yet is my trouth yplight, "And love avowd to other lady late, "That to remove the fame I have no might: "To chiunge love caufeleffe is reproca to war. "like knight."